Chandigarh, 26 Feb

Haryana Home Minister Anil Vij told the Assembly on Monday that a CBI probe will be announced in connection with the killing of the Indian National Lok Dal's (INLD) state unit chief, Nafe Singh Rathee.

Vij also denied the Opposition's charge that the law-and-order mechanism has collapsed in the state. "If the House is only satisfied with a CBI probe, then I assure the members that we will hand over the case to the CBI," Vij said while speaking on an adjournment motion moved by the Congress over Haryana's law-and-order situation.

Speaker Gian Chand Gupta admitted the adjournment motion as the Congress demanded a high court judge-monitored CBI probe into Rathee's killing. Soon after the Question Hour, the Congress members raised the issue of Rathee's killing and demanded a discussion on law and order.

Rathee and an INLD worker were killed when unidentified assailants sprayed their sports utility vehicle (SUV) with bullets at Bahadurgarh, near Delhi, on Sunday. The attack, which came with less than two months to go for the Lok Sabha polls, drew sharp reactions from the opposition parties in the BJP-ruled state. Twelve people, including former Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MLA Naresh Kaushik, were booked on Monday in connection with Rathee's killing, police said.

Vij told the Assembly that police are properly probing the incident, but when Leader of Opposition Bhupinder Singh Hooda said the case might involve various angles that can only be investigated by a central agency, the home minister said a CBI probe will be announced.

Congress leader Raghuvir Singh Kadian asked the speaker to allow a discussion on the adjournment motion moved by his party. The speaker admitted the adjournment motion after which the House discussed the issue.

Kadian described Rathee's killing as the state's "first political murder" and demanded a high court judge-monitored CBI probe into the incident. His demand was backed by Hooda.

Kadian also said Rathee was not given a security cover despite the fact that he was facing threats. Vij described Rathee's killing as a very sad incident. "I immediately directed the officials concerned to take action. I spoke to the DGP, the Jhajjar SP and the head of the STF, and directed them to catch the culprits at the earliest," he said.

Vij said the registration number of the car is being verified. On the Opposition targeting the BJP over the alleged breakdown of law and order, he said, "It is being said that the entire law-and-order system has broken down in the state, which is not true." Those behind Rathee's killing will not be spared and exemplary punishment will be given to them, the home minister said.